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Helvetia
Geographical Location Detached from the major trading routes, on a small plateau along the continent’s major mountain range, Helvetia profits of a temperate climate. The town is situated in the greater region the locals name “Leingau”, which means “Region of the Lein”, from the Lein river, found directly south of the town, at the feet of the mountain peak that holds the main part of the town. The Lein river is Helvetia’s main source of water, and also its main farming location, as wheat grows bountiful along the river. The river also serves as Helvetia’s main way of communication with the rest of the world, as it flows into the main south-eastern basin, from which the renowned southern swamps are formed. Foundation Little is known about the origins of the settlement inhabited by the Helvetians, due to its isolated location, that has made it an uninteresting spot for major powers to hold, mainly left to its own affairs, in part also due to the rather peaceful nature of the Helvetians, more preoccupied with mining their surroundings than mingle with international politics. According to the myth, a chieftain of a western tribe, by the name of Vroidekavil, had embarked on a journey eastwards, so advised by an oracle, under promise of new land to colonise. Arriving at the Lein river Vroidekavil felt inspired to climb the mountains. And thus he went up, and started exploring, until he got lost. Lacking any food supply the chieftain wandered for days, getting evermore weak and feeble. He cursed the oracle, and the Gods, for sending him off to such a perilous journey. His grievance was heard by the Gods, who answered, angered, by casting a thunder in front of him. The chief started weeping, asking for forgiveness. Moved by this the gods themselves joined him and their tears started falling from the sky. Blessed and invigorated by this holy rain Vroidekavil swore to found a town in that very place, and decided to call it Helvetia. Culture For many centuries the Helvetians enjoyed relative peace, their remote location and strategic defensive position in the mountains being a warning sign for many would-be invaders. However, some time during the reign of the 15th Chieftain, the river Lein marked with another important river in the area which is all but forgotten these days, putting Helvetia at the crossroads of a very lucrative new trade-route which they duly exploited. The new found wealth of the town and the economic benefit of its location put it in the sights of a much larger empire in the area. Little is know about this empire, but during the 17th Chieftain's rule the town was invaded, its settlements burnt to the ground and the chieftain beheaded in the town square. The Helvetians, spoiled by centuries of peace, were unprepared and unable to repel the invading forces, appalled at the gruesome deeds of war unfolding before their eyes. Eventually, the empire fell, but the legacy of its conquest has left its mark in the culture of Helvetia. Helvetians have an inherent distrust of outsiders and foreigners, especially other races, which can be seen in their strict immigration policy which emphasizes quotas and skills, and puts tight limits on who will be let in. The town is very inward looking and shies away from foreign diplomacy, although voices inside the town are starting to clamour for alliances and trade deals. This xenophobic heritage of their culture is seen to be retreating by some, which is evident in the town's announcement that they will start accepting war refugees. This may, however, be a token gesture, as none have been accepted as of yet. "Helvetia? It's a pretty place as long as you don't mind looking at the back of people's heads" - A Trader in the book 'Tourism in Silea Ravni' As a result of their inward-looking attitudes, Helvetians can be described as culturally and ethnically "Homogenous", with most of its residents being white Humans. Helvetians have a great concern for their fellow townsmen, and it is said that any man can walk into a strangers house, put his feet on their coffee table and ask "when's dinner?" That is, of course, if they are Helvetian. These familial attitudes become most evident in the beer halls and taverns of Helvetia, where singing and raucous laughter can often be heard out on the street. It is an unwritten law in Helvetia that the greatest crime you can commit is to betray a friend, and deeds that fall under this umbrella are often met with swift social ostracism, even by one's own family. Many former residents of the town have stated this as their reason for leaving, and it is widely believed (although with no factual basis) to be the reason for so many having jumped from the cliffs in the town to their deaths. Religion Helvetian folklore and tales are populated by many local spirits and demons that are not part of the widespread Chaos pantheon. In fact, to the people of Helvetia the Chaos Gods are minor players of the spiritual world, praised rather as oracles, in order to be bestowed benevolence, rather than worshiped as deities. The geographical and political isolation that marks Helvetian history has had its effect on their religion, as they have maintained ancient beliefs that they brought with them in the great journey from the west; they believe that the world's creations are populated by benevolent spirits, who live in the trees, in the water, in the animals, and mountains alike. The source of life, how all that is came to be, does not bother the simple folk of Helvetia, who are more interested in the flow of life, and the day-to-day influence the spirits have on their lives. Helvetians also believe in the existence of mythical, benevolent creatures, such as the Red Nosed Giant, who is said to bring luck to all miners of good heart who believe in it. Bad events are believed to be caused by malign creatures called demons; however one would be mislead in thinking that the Helvetians dislike, or hate them; instead they are understood to be an essential part of life, and many such demons are even respected to the same degree as spirits are, one such example being the Mighty Boar, whose demise played a crucial role in the survival of their ancestors. Growth Growth of the town has waxed and waned for many centuries. In the first recorded accounts of the town, or village at the time, it numbered approximately 100 people. This has changed through the years with a general upward trend as the town grew to prominence, however the population of the town remains low compared to others on the continent. The growth of Helvetia has been very insular with refugees and immigrants rarely making their homes in Helvetia due to the xenophobic policies of many past Chieftains. These rules have been relaxed throughout the years whenever birth defects, caused by inbreeding, have emerged in large numbers. In recent years, formal legislation has been passed to review the amount of immigration into the town and adjust intake numbers according to the needs of the town. The Mighty Boar Vogitorix, 4th chieftain of the Helvetii, ruled during a period of great troubles. At some point during his reign, a year without summer came. The harvest was ruined, mysterious snow covered the land during the summer solstice, and no game was to be found in the wild. Thus he consulted the spirits inhabiting the Pond of Rebirth. This pond, placed in the center of the Helvetian settlement, is said to have formed with the tears of the Gods the day the legendary Vroidekavil founded the town. With the help of the druid to interpret the spirits, it was revealed to him that he would find salvation from famine his people by venturing north, in the forbidden high peaks, where no Helvetian before him had dared set foot, as snow never melted away from those mountains and cruel monsters were rumored to inhabit them. The spirits however warned him that he would have to sacrifice himself in order to be able to save Helvetia. Vogitorix ventured for those mountains, disarmed, as the druid had said the spirits wanted him to go. He fought against the freezing cold, and arriving at the highest reaches of the tallest peak, a majestic boar of unique size appeared before him. Fear struck him, and the desire to escape in order to save his own life was great, but the voice of the Helvetian people lamenting their hunger reached his ear, brought to him by the cold breeze. He sat down, on the snow covered stone. The defiance shown by the human sent the beast into a rampage, the boar charged against him and struck him with its mighty tusk, but he remained stuck on it, impaled, the tusk having pierced his lower abdomen. On an ever growing rampage the boar started shacking and head-butting against the mountain walls to get the human off of itself. This went on and on, until the beast collapsed, dead, and Vogitorix, showing incredible resilience, removed himself from the animal’s tusk, and despite bleeding profusely he managed to load the giant beast onto his shoulders, and carried it down to Helvetia, there, him too, collapsing to his death. The people of Helvetia thanked the Gods for giving Vogitorix the strength needed for this task, the boar for providing them with the food they would need to survive until the next harvesting season, and their beloved leader for the tremendous sacrifice. This traditional Helvetian tale is reflected in one of the town's more popular venues, an inn with a tavern by the same name. "The Mighty Boar" is a large multistory building, partially carved into the mountain, with two boar statues towering over any visitor that may stand before its entrance. While the ground floor is a spacious and cozy tavern, its flair simple and homely as most things in Helvetia, the building houses multiple rooms on its three upper floors, the top most one, just below the roof, being reserved for special guests such as important diplomats or influential traders. Below the tavern can be found the town's brewery, where the Chieftain and Arty, the innkeeper, can be found experimenting with new brews, both having little experience, as the previous brewmaster has recently passed away, leaving behind no trained apprentice to continue his legacy. The red nosed giant with sapphire belly button The Helvetians believe in a multitude of spirits and other creatures of nature that are either protecting or seeking to harm them. One of the latter is the simple, yet aptly named "Red Nosed Giant With Sapphire Belly Button". Being a prominent figure in an old Helvetian folk tale, the giant is akin to a spirit, granting bountiful minerals to miners that respect nature and ask his guidance. His Belly Button is a Sapphire, his favourite mineral and, incidentally, also his favourite food. The origin of the red nose remains a history, lost somewhere along the oral passing on of the tale. While many Helvetians openly regard it as a tale for children, its impact on their culture can not be denied, as even a statue has been built to honour the Red Nosed Giant With Sapphire Belly Button. Story of the Helvetian emblem be added Story of important Helvetian leaders be added The Tale of the Iron Giant There was, for a time, a doctor that lived in Helvetia. The doctor liked to help people and felt out of place if she didn't. Then the lizards came and made her a woman. She delivered a beautiful baby melon block, and she loved it. The abomination was an affront to all creation though, and the chieftan quickly sliced that baby up after stuffing it into a bank vault. This made the doctor sad, because that lizardbabby meant a lot to her. She could not even protect her own brown bricks. The doctor began to experiment on herself, and transmogrified herself into a robot so she could fight the evils. It was totally sweet and kickass for a while, but then other people got spooked because holy shit a robot. The doctor worked with the tinkerer Brady to make her normal again, but she didn't tell him that she was actually still a super secret robot. She then had to go back to space where her people needed her but she needed a good cover... so she told everyone she needed to go to Europe or something. Then, on the last day brolly lewis and her had a sweet dinner and i think they banged, i dont know I couldn't see into his bunker, but then she went outside and was like "You stay, I go." and then she rocketed off into the sky and whispered "Superman" and then there was a bright flash, and she was never seen again. If you look up at the night sky you can see a new star there twinkling brighter than all the rest - that's because it's not actually a star, it's the doctor trying to signal her people with a flashlight from space. RIP in peace. You have been visited by the inspector of gadgets. Good fortune and brown bricks will enter your life but only if you say "thank you inspector gadget" in the comments. If u do not do this then gadget will shoot u like he shot mike mattei for making a stupid video that he thought was legitimately funny.Category:Country Category:Current